Chapter Fourteen

The sun was beaming when I woke up that Saturday.

I stretched, smiling when my bones cracked. I was looking forward to going to the cinema with Angela and Ben. It was normal. And I needed normal right now. I was starting to feel like just as I had gotten a grasp of the world around me; it had suddenly slipped from my fingertips again.

I felt happy as I dressed in jeans and a purple blouse forgoing the jacket as it seemed too sunny for it.

Charlie raised his eyebrows at me but didn't comment as I bounced into the kitchen. I popped a piece of bread in the toaster.

"I'm going fishing with Billy and Harry," Charlie said, eyeing me. "You'll be ok without me?"

I nodded. "I'll be fine. I'm going to the cinema with Angela and Ben just before noon."

He looked pleased. I guess it wasn't easy for him to have me around.

"Have fun," he said, before leaving.

~#~

It was eleven when I heard a knock on the door. I frowned, pausing in my movements of pulling the washing out of the machine.

I answered the door, shocked to see Paul.

We stood there staring at each other. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks as I remembered the last time I had seen him I was about to kiss him...

"Can I come in?"

"Erm, sure," I said uncertainly, opening the door wider for him to come in. I couldn't stop the shiver that ran through me when he passed me, or the way I inhaled his scent as he passed me.

"What did you want?"

"I'm here to hang out," he shrugged. I narrowed my eyes. "You're here to babysit me?"

He shrugged again, not answering, though he didn't need to.

"Well I'm going out soon."

"Not without me, you're not."

I bit my tongue. "I'm going to the cinema with Angela and Ben."

He shrugged. "Guess I'm coming too."

I breathed out through my nose, wondering why he was so infuriating. As if he could read my thoughts he smiled.

It wasn't long before Angela knocked on the door. Her eyes widened when she saw Paul behind me.

"Is it alright if Paul comes too?" I ask her, biting my lip, wondering how Paul would take it if she said no. He would probably ignore her and come anyway. I scowled.

"Sure," she said, smiling politely at Paul. I only hoped he was smiling back.

I locked the door behind us, getting into the backseat of Angela's car with Paul. I didn't miss the way Ben's eyes popped when he saw Paul. I was only glad he decided to wear a t-shirt today.

Angela started up a casual conversation about school, asking Paul if like us, he was about to graduate.

He shook his head in response. "I got another year to go."

I studied him, noticing how uncomfortable he looked.

"What?" He mouthed, noticing how I was staring. I shrugged.

I bought Paul's ticket for him, since he hadn't bought any money. I didn't mind, I owed him and the pack so much more than eight dollars.

I sat in between Angela and Paul. I could feel the heat coming off through his clothes. Unconsciously I found myself shifting towards him, gravitating towards the heat he was emitting. My head felt heavy as the film started, full of Paul's heat and his scent.

I saw Ben wrap his arm around Angela, and her lean into his side. I felt a pang of longing for Paul to do the same.

So I almost gasped when he shifted, making his shoulder press against my shoulder.

He shot me a look and I found myself blushing, glad that it was too dark for him to see. I focused my eyes on the screen, but not taking anything of it in. I could feel a charge between us, a weak imitation of the electric current that seemed to run between me and Edward, but it was there none the less. I found myself wondering if his hands were as hard and strong as Edwards. I bit my lip, which made me wonder if his lips were as smooth as Edwards, if my lips would be able to hold their shape against his. I shifted in my seat, knowing I should move away from him, but not being able to force myself to. I clenched my hand into a fist, trying to resist touching him.

I tried to focus on the screen. I couldn't stop the gasp that escaped me when I felt Paul's warm skin on mine. He loosened my fist, stopping my nails from embedding in my skin. He held my hand loosely in his own, as though to stop me from clenching my fist again. Warmth tingled up from my hand through my arm, settling in my chest.

I took a deep breath when we exited the cinema, needing to clear my head. It didn't mean anything. I told myself. You love Edward; you hold hands with Jacob all the time. But Paul was different. He wasn't like Edward and he wasn't like Jacob.

"Did you want to go get something to eat?" Angela asked. Ben nodded as did Paul.

We drove to a pizza place, ordering two pizzas to share in couples. I could tell that Paul would have quite happily eaten a whole pizza to himself, and was glad that he was putting up a human appearance. I realised that Paul could fit in with humans much more easily then Edward. I remembered how uneasy Ben and Angela seemed around Edward when he started to sit with us during lunch. They could tell something was... unnatural with Edward. But they looked completely relaxed with Paul. Ben was even talking to him about comic book passion, something that Paul tried to reciprocate but I noticed the slight glazed look in his eyes when Ben started to compare the superpowers between two of his favourite superheroes. Angela rolled her eyes when I looked at her. I bit back a laugh.

My stomach was grumbling by the time the pizza's arrived. I could see the restraint it took Paul to eat like a human guy. I ate two slices to myself, only eating a third when Paul nudged me, probably to cover up the fact that he ate more than the usual human. He polished off the rest.

It was late afternoon by the time Angela dropped me and Paul off at my house.

"They seem nice," he said as we walked to the front door. I unlocked it.

"They are."

"It'sweird to see that you actually have human friends," he muttered.

I shot him a glare. He smirked as he sat down on the sofa.

"How long are you going to stick around for?" I asked him, slipping off my shoes.

"Until I get the signal," he called back.

I sighed as I made my way to the kitchen. I needed to make dinner for Charlie. I pulled out a couple of pieces of frozen fish along with Harry Clearwater's fish fry.

"Which reminds me." I jumped at the sound of his voice I hadn't heard him come in.

"One of us has been near your house. Sam thinks that it could smell that leeches scent near your house and wanted to check it out."

I froze. "You don't need to worry. Sam's stepped up patrol. One wolf at all times is in the forest near you house. Just in case. You and Charlie are safe Bella."

There was a bang at the door and I jumped, letting out a small scream. He looked at me, amused. "It's just Charlie."

~#~

Jacob came round mine the next day. We spent the day watching stupid movies. I had promised him dinner and was making him some lasgne when I heard a knock at the door. Frowning, I went to the door and opened it.

"Can I come in?" Sam asked, cocking an eyebrow.

I nodded, opening the door further so he could pass.

I was about to close the door when a tanned hand stopped me. I opened it again, almost gaping when I saw Paul standing there. He gave me a small smile as he slipped into the house. I walked behind him into the kitchen.

I didn't miss Sam's eye roll when he saw Paul, who took the seat next to Sam leaving me in between him and Jacob.

"Decided my instructions were insignificant to you?" Sam murmured to Paul. Paul glared back and Sam bit back a smile.

He turned to me. "We've all agreed on a plan," he glanced at Paul when he said that. "You'll go with Paul into a clearing in the woods. We'll all be fairly close, close enough that you won't be in danger," he said. "Paul's going to leave you just before the clearing and you'll continue on there without him. He'll be running back towards us, after we've howled to signal it. We're hoping that the leeches will take advantage of the opportunity and will approach you."

He paused while I digested all the information. "We won't let anything happen to you Bella," he said seriously, glancing at Paul as well, whose fists were clenched. I eyed Paul warily, wondering if he was going to make another sudden dramatic exit. What was with him anyway?

Jacob squeezed my hand comfortingly.

"What if they don't?" I asked, doubting his plan. "And wouldn't they hear you approaching anyway?"

Sam smiled slightly. "They will," he said with an air of certainty. "You've certainly caught their interest. They seem almost desperate to get to you." He frowned suddenly. "We're hoping that they'll be arrogant with their escape attempts that they'll risk staying to approach you."

I nodded. The plan didn't seem very solid but I didn't want to undermine Sam. I was pretty sure that the whole pack had probably thought this through.

Jacob chuckled suddenly. "How good are you acting skills?"

I blanched. Seriously?

He smiled. "You're going to need to act like you and Paul are going on a hiking trip or the plan won't be plausible."

"You might need to come up with an excuse to Charlie. We haven't set a date yet but we want to put this into motion soon, and it'll be on a school day... less chance of anyone else getting hurt," Sam mused.

"Until then, I think it would be best for you to hang out in La Push. You're safer that way. I'm sure Jacob and Paul won't mind."

He stood up. "Jacob you and Quil are on patrol later."

Jacob nodded. Sam nodded at us before leaving, Paul following behind him.